Expecting the Unexpected
by WeHaveACase
Summary: House has always been unpredictable, and Stacy learned to expect the unexpected from him...but even she didn't expect this.
1. Three Weeks Ago

**Expecting the Unexpected**

**PG-13/T**

**Pairing: House/Stacy**

A/N: Takes place post Need to Know.

Prologue: Three Weeks Ago

Three weeks ago, Stacy Warner had packed up her office at Princeton-Plainsboro, and her home and moved back to Short Hills with her husband, leaving behind the man she'd never stopped loving. Only three weeks ago she had been ready and willing to leave her husband for this man. Three weeks ago he'd pursued her relentlessly, finally convincing her that he was worth the end of her marriage, only to advise her against it when the time came.

Her life with Dr. Gregory House had taught her to expect the unexpected. His sarcasm and wit had kept her on her toes during the best times of their relationship. His actions always had the ability to catch her off guard, with either their sensitivity or lack there of, or take her breath away. Three weeks ago he had done it again. Their kiss in Baltimore had left her reeling, the sex had just been icing on the cake, ensuring her emotions remained anything but stable. Their conversation on the roof had started her thinking, leaving her considering a renewal of their relationship, only to have the rug pulled out from under her once again.

Three weeks later, she cried herself to sleep once again. Her husband laid beside her, helpless to comfort her, utterly unaware that the unexpected was about to strike again.


	2. Pain

Sorry it's taken me so long to post more of this story...I've been writing a few chapters so that I can try to update quickly. Thanks so much for your interest in this story...hopefully it lives up to your interest. Italics are flashbacks, and I'm using Barrett as Stacy' maiden name.

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Chapter One - Pain

Months later, Stacy clenched the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white. Breathing as deeply as possible, she closed her eyes briefly against the pain that radiated through her body. As the pain receded she started her car, pulling out of her driveway and speeding towards the Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Minutes from the hospital the pain hit again, quickly becoming overwhelming. She pulled off to the side of the road, gasping until it receeded again. A few minutes later she pulled into the hospital parking lot. Breathing deeply, she slowly climbed from her car. Clenching her bag in one hand, Stacy staggered through the doors and into the clinic.

"Mrs. Warner!" The nurse behind the desk recognized the hospital's former legal counsel, rushing around the desk to grasp her arm, lowering her into a wheelchair that another nurse rushed over. "Are you okay?"

"I"m-ah-" Stacy breathed, "I'm in labor. Twenty minutes apart."

"Admit her." Nurse Brenda ordered. "I'm taking her upstairs. Grab that paperwork and follow me." The young nurse trailed Brenda, asking Stacy questions and filling out the paperwork to admit her as they made their way to the elevator and up to the second floor OB-GYN wing. A few minutes and another contraction later, Stacy was settled into a private hospital room. She closed her eyes, distracting herself with memories.

_Two and a half months earlier, she had been traveling for a case with another woman she worked with, Attorney Julie Martin. At six and a half months pregnant, Stacy wasn't the most threatening lawyer, so she'd been stuck with a lot of paperwork. When the chance to accompany Julie had come up, she had jumped at the opportunity out of pure boredom. They arrived in Baltimore early that afternoon, and the irony was not lost on her. She was exhausted when she'd laid down on the full size bed that occupied her side of the room that she was sharing with Julie. She laid back on the bed, her knees dangling off the end as she stared at the ceiling and was hit by a terrible sense of deja vu and she felt the tears come to her eyes._

_"Stacy? You okay?" Julie asked in concern, eyeing her friend suspiciously as she sniffled._

_"Damn hormones." Came the mumbled reply._

_"Uh-huh."_

_"I miss curry." Stacy mumbled and Julie raised herself on her elbow, staring at her with a mixture of confusion and concern._

_"How the hell can you want spicy food right now? It's been making you throw up for the past six months."_

_"Metaphor." Stacy mumbled again. "I miss Greg."_

_"Ah." Julie commented, then sighed. "Who's Greg?"_

_Stacy laughed wryly. "The ultimate complication."_

_"Explain please."_

_"We lived together for five years, I left after he had a health problem and became too much for me to handle, when there was no room for me, just his pain. When Mark and I went back to Princeton last year I saw him again." Stacy sat up slowly, scooting up to the top of the bed. "We, uh, slept together before I left." She raised her head to look at her friend, tears in her eyes. "I was going to leave Mark to be with him."_

_"What happened?"_

_"He told me not to." Stacy choked out. "Said he'd never change enough to make me happy, that he wasn't what I needed."_

_"Oh Stacy." Julie crawled onto her bed, scooting up beside her to rub her back._

_"I don't think I ever stopped loving him."_

_Around midnight, Stac woke up, unsure of what had roused her. Suddenly she gasped, "Oww. Shit." She slid carefully from her bed and woke up Julie. "Jules, hon, please wake up!"_

_Julie blinked slowly. "What the-"_

_"I need to go to the hospital." She was out of the bed and rushing Stacy to the hospital in record time. Stacy tried to breathe and stay calm, but she was terrified. It was way too early for contractions. This was a high risk pregnancy, because of her age, her doctor had warned her, but she desperately wanted it. She was checked in quickly and hooked up to an IV to stop the contractions. About an hour later her doctor came in, checking her vitals and the fetal monitors before sitting down beside her._

_"So, Ms. Barrett, how are you feeling?_

_"Okay, a little worried." She answered truthfully._

_"That's to be expected. We were able to stop the contractions, but I"m a little concerned about your blood pressure. You're going to need to take it easy to get that down, and make sure this doesn't happen again." The doctor warned her sympathetically and Stacy nodded. "I'd like to keep you overnight for observation. Make sure everything is okay before you leave."_

_"Thank you."_

_"Now my notes show you're from New Jersey," she nodded."Alright, I'll send my notes to your OB there. I'm sure you know this is an extremely high risk pregnancy." Stacy sighed and nodded again. "Once you get home, I'd recommend you see your regular doctor. I'd also say that this should be your last trip until you deliver."_

_"Thank you," Stacy nodded and the doctor left the room, to be quickly replaced by Julie._

_"How are you feeling Stacy?"_

_"I'm okay. No more contractions. No more traveling after we get back though." She made a face and Julie laughed._

_"Doctor told me they want to keep you overnight. I'm going to see if I can get an earlier meeting with Durham's lawyers and try to get us an earlier flight okay?"_

_"Sounds good." Stacy yawned. _

_"You must be exhausted." Julie commented. "Go to sleep, you're gonna be okay. We'll be home soon." Stacy allowed herself to relax and was soon fast asleep._

"Stacy, how are you feeling?" Stacy couldn't help the smile that spread on her face as her friend and OB-GYN, Dr. Jennifer Baker, came into her room.

"Good. Gonna be a mommy soon." Stacy laughed, ending on a gasp as another contraction hit.

"Breathe Stacy." Dr. Baker commanded, lifting a read-out from one of her monitors and offering her other hand for Stacy to squeeze. As the contraction passed, she leaned back against her pillows.

"It hurts Jen. Really hurts."

"I know, but-" Jen began.

"But? Damnit. That's never good." Stacy groaned.

"You're too far along for an epidural. But the brightside is, at the pace you're going this will be over soon." Jen offered.

"Thanks. Can you do me a favor Jen?" The doctor paused in the doorway.

"Of course."

"Get Dr. Wilson." Jen nodded and left the room, tucking Stacy's chart into the door before heading for the oncology department on the fourth floor.

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PS. This isn't beta'd so if you see mistakes, let me know and I'll fix them. Please Review! 


	3. Two

Once again, flashbacks are in italics, and let me know if you find mistakes

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Chapter Two -- Two

"Dr. Wilson?" Dr. Baker knocked lightly on the half open door.

"Yes, come in." Dr. James Wilson stood behind his desk, reaching out to shake her hand. "How can I help you?"

"I'm Dr. Jennifer Baker. I"m an OB-GYN at Princeton General Hospital. One of my patients is delivering here today." Baker explained.

"Ah, nice to meet you." Wilson nodded, sitting and offering a chair to Baker. "Can I ask why you've come to me?"

"She asked me to come get you. Said you were a friend and she needed you." Baker answered.

"But I don't - oh shit." Wilson interrupted himself. "What room is she in?"

"2110." Wilson took off, leaving Dr. Baker to trail behind him. He skidded to a stop outside the room, opening the door he sighed as he took in the woman in the bed.

"Stacy." He shook his head with a smile and came to sit on the edge of her bed. "You were supposed to give me a little warning." He told her as he took her hand.

She choked out a laugh. "James. I didn't really-" She interrupted herself as a contraction hit, gasping as her grip on his hand tightened.

"Breathe Stacy." Wilson coached her, watching the machine monitoring her contractions. "It's almost over. There you go."

She relaxed back into the pillow, swiping at the hair that stuck to her forehead. "I didn't really have much of a warning myself. This whole pregnancy's been one surprise and complication after another."

_Three months after leaving Princeton, Stacy was working late on her most recent case, nearly falling asleep at her desk when the phone rang._

_"This is Stacy." She answered automatically, searching for a file she must have left at the office._

_"Stacy, it's James Wilson."_

_"James." She leaned back, instantly forgetting what she looked for, resting a hand protectively over her stomach. "What's going on?"_

_"You sitting down?" Wilson asked softly._

_"James? What's happened?" She heard him sigh._

_"There was-there was a shooting."_

_"Who?"_

_"Stacy," Wilson warned weakly._

_"James don't mess with me. Who's hurt?" She held her breath._

_"House." _

_She felt like her heart stopped. "H-how bad?"_

_"He's in surgery." Wilson answered. "Bullets to the neck and stomach. He's got a good surgeon Stacy. He's going to be okay."_

_"Thanks for letting me know." She choked out. "Will you-call me when he's out of surgery?"_

_"Of course, Stacy-" Wilson hesitated. "Are you okay?"_

_"I'm - fine."_

_"Okay, I'll call when he's out."_

_"Thanks." As soon as she hung up the phone, she broke down. Crying, she placed her hands over her stomach. He had to pull through this. She had to make herself believe that he would be okay. She left her office and went to her bedroom, curling up in the fetal position on the bed, her cell phone on the pillow beside her. A few hours later her cell phone rang. She lunged for it and flipped it open quickly. "James?"_

_"Yeah, he's out. He's going to be okay Stacy."_

_"Oh, thank God." She released the hand that had been tightly grasping her crucifix, running it through her hair and squeezing the back of her neck._

_"Surgery went well, he's in recovery now." Wilson added. "Listen Stacy, I'm gonna be in Short Hills in a couple of weeks. Maybe we could grab lunch and talk."_

_"I'd love to have lunch. But, I'm not in Short Hills anymore." Stacy told him reluctantly._

_"Really? Where are you?" Wilson asked, curiosity getting the best of him._

_"Back in Princeton. I'm working at Princeton General."_

_"Wow, well. Why don't we have lunch sooner then? Maybe this week?" He offered._

_"Sure," Stacy grabbed her calendar, flipping to the current week. "I'm free tomorrow and Thursday."_

_"I'm free tomorrow." Both penciled the lunch into their schedules. "Where do you want to meet?" They set a meeting place at a diner halfway between the two hospitals. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then Stacy."_

_"Sounds good. And James, will you do me a favor?"_

_"Sure, what?"_

_"Don't overreact when you see me." She told him slowly._

_"Why? You go blonde?" Wilson teased._

_She chuckled. "Just don't overreact okay?"_

_"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." He paused. "And Stacy? He's going to be fine." He assured her._

_"Thanks. See you tomorrow."_

_The next day, Dr. Wilson arrived at the restaurant before Stacy, putting their names in before walking outside to wait for her. He found himself wondering what to expect. Her order against his reaction was cryptic, and he didn't know if he should be worried. He smiled as he spotted her car pulling into the lot, and pushed his concerns aside. As she parked, he made his way to her car, opening the door for her._

_  
"Well, you're not blonde." He joked in greeting, offering his hand to pull her from the car. She laughed and hugged him, feeling him tense in her arms. He pulled back slowly, giving her a strange look. Moving quickly, he flipped open the button of the suit jacket she wore. His eyes widened as the curve of her stomach was revealed. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed._

_"Let's go inside. I'll explain." She took his hand, leading him inside the restaurant and following the hostess to their table. When the woman gave them their menus and left he leaned forward._

_"How far along are you?" He asked, voice low._

_"Three months." She gave him a half smile._

_"Wow, uh." Wilson ran a hand through his hair. "Congratulations I guess."_

_"Thanks."_

_"I had no idea you and Mark wanted kids."_

_"We didn't." She said shortly, cutting herself off when the waitress came and took their orders. When she'd gone, Stacy changed the subject. "So how is everything at the hospital?"_

_Wilson sighed. "Good. Getting back to normal." He raised an eyebrow when she tensed._

_"How's -"_

_"House?"_

_Stacy looked down at her water glass. "Yeah."_

_"He's recovering well. One was just a surface wound, the other went into his stomach and lodged in his ribs." He watched as Stacy covered her mouth with one hand, the other drifting down to rest over her stomach. "He's recovering from the surgery well, amazingly actually."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"He had Cuddy give him Ketamine instead of anesthesia." Wilson leaned forward as he explained. "It's been used as a treatment for pain like his. In a way it reboots the brain, making it forget about the nerves that were there, and the pain."_

_"So Greg's pain free?"_

_"In his leg at least, yeah." Wilson smiled._

_  
"That's incredible."_

_"There's a fifty percent chance that the pain will come back, of course that means-"_

_"There's a good chance it won't." She finished for him and he nodded. Their conversation turned to more generic topics as their food arrived. Wilson laughed at her odd combinations of food. After lunch, he walked her to her car._

_"Promise me you'll call me if you need anything okay?" Wilson told her as they hugged goodbye._

_"I will. Keep me updated okay?"_

_"Of course." Wilson watched as she backed out of the parking spot and pulled away._

_---_

_A month later, Wilson was on his way to the cafeteria with House when his cell phone rang. They kept walking as he flipped it open and answered in his customary manner. "Dr. Wilson."_

_"James? It's Stacy." He heard tears in her voice and stopped in his tracks. House continued ahead of him a few moments before realizing that Wilson was no longer beside him._

_"Hey, are you okay?" Wilson asked, his concern evident, House turned around watching his friend with interest._

_"I don't know- yeah, I'm- can you come here?" She mumbled._

_"Of course, where are you?"_

_"Princeton General."_

_"Okay, I'm on my way." He flipped the phone shut and turned down the hall, the opposite of where they'd been heading._

_"Hey Jimmy, caf's this way." House joked, heading after him._

_"You go on. I've got something - a patient." They were back in his office as he removed his white coat and pulled on his jacket, grabbing his keys as he headed back outside._

_"You have to go out for a patient?" House asked in a voice that clearly did not believe him._

_"Yeah, look - I gotta go." Wilson ducked around the corner, hurrying out to his car and away from the hospital before House could get the idea to follow him. He arrived at Princeton General in record time, rushing into the ER. "I'm looking for a patient-I think- Stacy Warner." He told the receptionist at the desk in a rush._

_"We don't have a patient here by-" She started to say, but was interrupted by a doctor coming into the lobby._

_"Dr. Wilson?" The woman asked._

_"Yeah, I'm James Wilson."_

_"I'm Dr. Jennifer Baker, Stacy's OB-GYN." She introduced herself, shaking his hand._

_"Oh, hi. Stacy called me? She seemed upset." He said as he followed the doctor down the hallway._

_"She's okay. A little overwhelmed, but fine health-wise." Baker advised him, pointing him towards a room. "She's right in there, you can see her."_

_"Thanks." Wilson pushed open the door warily. "Stacy."_

_She looked up from fiddling with the hem of her maternity shirt. "James, thanks for coming. I didn't know who else to call."_

_"Of course." He sat down beside her. "What happened?"_

_"Nothing really, I just- we did an ultrasound today."_

_"Is everything okay with the baby? Are there abnormalities?" He took her hand comfortingly._

_She laughed wryly. "Depends on whether you call two abnormal."_

_"Two? As in twins?" His eyebrows shot up._

_"Yep. I'm forty-six, pregnant and alone, and if that wasn't enough..." She trailed off._

_"What do you mean alone? Where's Mark?" She looked down at her bare ring finger and he followed her eyes._

_"He left me." She said softly._

_"He what?" Wilson asked increduously. "How could he leave you when you're pregnant?"_

_She refused to meet his eyes. "He knew the baby wasn't his." She whispered._

_"Not his? Who else could-" He broke off, the answer dawning on him. "Oh Stacy...House?"_

_"It only happened once-" She said defensively, "One night."_

_"Then how does Mark know it's not his?" Wilson asked, and as he asked the question he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer._

_"Mark and I hadn't slept together since we came to Princeton-Plainsboro." She said softly._

_"Oh." He watched her carefully. "I'm assuming you haven't told House..."_

_"No." She said immediatly, looking up to catch his eyes. "I'm not going to."_

_"But Stacy, he deserves to know he's going to be a father," he gestured at her stomach, "twice."_

_"He's the one who told me to leave. I was willing to stay in Princeton to be with him." She stood slowly and began pacing. "He told me not to, that it wasn't worth it because nothing would change."_

_"Well, if he'd known you were pregnant-" Wilson began._

_She interrupted him. "He would have done the same thing, or asked me to stay...and I'm not sure which is worse." She said bitterly. "I'd rather do this alone than have him resent me and them by extension."_

_"Stacy, he wouldn't-"_

_"You don't know that. It's Greg, there's a chance that he would, and I won't expose myself or my babies to that."_

_"Okay, stop pacing." He caught her hand as she paced by him, tugging her to sit down. "Stressing yourself out over this isn't good for them either."_

_"I know." She sighed, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. "I'm scared James."_

_"Well that's natural."_

_"They say I'm high risk, because of my age, and now that it's twins..." She trailed off, looking back at him tearfully. "I still could lose them, and that terrifies me."_

_He wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulders and she leaned her head on his arm. "You're going to be okay Stacy. You take care of yourself, you work at a hospital, the doctors can keep a close eye on them and you. You'll do everything in your power to be sure you carry to term."_

_"What if I can't do this? Be a mom I mean. I'm forty-six, I should be worried about when menopause will hit, not setting up a nursery."_

_"You will be fine. You don't have to do this alone, you know."_

_"I'm not tell-"_

_"I'm not talking about him. I mean your friends. At work, and me, and Cuddy if you need her. Don't be afraid to ask for help."_

_"Thanks James. I appreciate it."_

_"If you give me a little warning, I'll try to be there with you when you deliver." He squeezed her shoulder. "No one should have to do that alone."_

_"Thanks."_

_"No problem, it's what friends are for Stacy." They stood up and he grabbed her purse from the floor for her. "You gonna be okay for now?"_

_"Yeah, sorry to have dragged you away from work."_

_"Don't apologize. I told you to call me if you needed anything, and I meant it."_

_"Thanks then. I really appreciate it."_

_"You're welcome." He hugged her. "I'm gonna head back to work if you're okay. Keep me updated on the three of you okay?"_

_She laughed, "Of course."_

"Well I'm here now." He laughed. "So how has everything been until now?" He asked to take her mind off it.

"Good. I told you I found out the sexes right?"

"Yep, one of each?"

She smiled. "I picked out names," she paused, gritting her teeth and squeezing Wilson's hand as another contraction hit. He coached her through it, grabbing a cool washcloth from the table by the bed and wiping her forehead as the contraction passed. "Thanks."

"So what did you decide on? Last time we talked you had three possible names for each one."

"Nicholas Gregory and Danielle Marie." She told him with a smile.

"Beautiful names." He told her sincerely. "Have you decided what their last names will be?"

"Well, I dropped Warner after the divorce finalized, so I'm back to my maiden name, they'll be Barretts." She told him, pointedly ignoring the look of slight disapproval. "I won't give them his last name," she chuckled almost humorlessly, "can you imagin Greg finding out that way?" She looked up, freezing upon seeing the person standing in the doorway of her room.

"Stacy?!"

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Who could that be:) Please Review! 


	4. Birth

Hey guys! Sorry it's taken me awhile to update...I'm trying to write multiple chapters at a time so I can get them up faster, but it's taken longer than I thought...I have no idea how long this story is going to be, but so far I have at least two or three more then maybe an epilogue, but we'll see.

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Chapter 3 --- Birth

"H-hi." Stacy looked up to see Dr. Lisa Cuddy standing in the doorway of her hospital room, looking absolutely shocked.

"I had no idea you were even pregnant." Cuddy said, coming to stand next to the bed.

"I'm gonna go check on a few things." Wilson released Stacy's hand. "The nurse is going to page me, I'll be back before you deliver, I promise." He excused himself, slipping from the room to give the women some time alone.

"How far apart are your contractions?" Cuddy asked.

"About fifteen minutes. How did you know I was here?" Stacy asked curiously.

"Nurse Brenda came to my office, after she checked you in I guess. Told me you'd been admitted." Cuddy explained. "Why didn't you tell us you would be here?"

"James is the only one who knew. I didn't really want it getting around."

Cuddy looked around the room. "Where's Mark? He should get here soon or he's going to miss it. Do you want me to-"

Stacy stopped her with a hand on her arm. "Mark isn't coming. We aren't together anymore."

"Oh Stacy. I'm so sorry. I had no idea."

"It's okay." She sighed. "He just didn't want to raise kids that were not his." Stacy said sadly.

"Not his? But who else-" Cuddy interrupted herself as it dawned on her. "The something after Baltimore."

"Yeah."

"Does he know?"

"No!"

"But Stacy, he deserves to know."

"I'm not telling him Lisa. If he wouldn't commit to me, how the hell do you think he'll deal with twins? I won't put my kids through that." Stacy said adamantly.

"You're having twins? Whoa." Cuddy sighed. "Okay, I'll leave it alone for now." She held her hands up in surrender.

"Thanks, I - ah!" She gasped as another contraction hit. "Oh God. I ca-can't do this!" Stacy gasped out, sinking back into the pillow when the contraction passed.

"Yes you can, and you will." Cuddy assured her, checking the monitor. "They're getting closer together. It'll be over soon." Cuddy's pager sounded loudly in the room. "Damn it." She exclaimed, looking down at it. "I have to go take care of something."

"Right now?" Stacy asked incredulously.

"Unfortunately yes. I'll try to hurry back." Cuddy told her regretfully. "The nurse is going to page Wilson as soon as you go into delivery, and she can get him earlier if you need her to okay?" Stacy nodded and Cuddy squeezed her hand. "I'll be back soon." Cuddy walked out of the hospital room and headed straight for the nurses station. Grabbing a piece of paper, she wrote out a quick note and handed it to one of the senior nurses. "I need you to take this note down to my office. Mr. Andrews will be waiting. Give him this and tell him there's been a family emergency and we'll have to reschedule our meeting. And tell my assistant to push everything back a few hours."

"Yes Dr. Cuddy." The nurse hurried off.

Cuddy grabbed Nurse Brenda. "Keep an eye on the patient in room 2110. Page me if anything changes."

"Yes ma'am."

Heading to the elevators, Cuddy went to the fourth floor and straight to Dr. Wilson's office. She pushed the slightly ajar door open, chuckling as he jumped and shoved a gift bag under his desk. "Relax, it's just me." She laughed as she came into the office. "What is that anyway?"

He pulled the bag from underneath his desk with a sheepish grin. "Gifts for the babies. Blankets and onesies."

"Cute." She shifted in her chair, glancing at the glass door that led to Wilson's small 'patio', almost expecting House to hop the wall. She looked back to Wilson to see him watching her with eyebrows raised.

"How's Stacy doing?" He asked her.

"Okay, getting closer. Listen Wilson, I'm-uh, I'm going to tell House."

"You're what? That's a bad idea Lisa." Wilson shook his head. "She doesn't want him to know."

"She shouldn't have to do this alone." Cuddy exclaimed.

"She's not. We're going to be there, just not him."

"Do you really want to go in that delivery room?" She questioned.

Wilson winced. "Not really. But she's my friend and I promised her she wouldn't have to do it by herself."

"She won't. Now," She stood, smoothing out her skirt, "are you going to come with me to tell him? Or am I going to have to do this alone?"

Wilson sighed, "I'm coming." He followed her out of his office and next door to House's. They slipped inside, watching through the glass as the team worked on the differential for their current patient. After a few minutes, Cuddy became impatient and opened the door.

"House."

"Think people." He ignored her. "Give me something, anything to explain the symptoms. Doesn't have to be good..."

"House." Wilson tried from his place beside her.

Chase shrugged apologetically at them. "Could be an infection."

"Nah, symptoms point to something neurological." Foreman put in. "MS?"

"Greg." Cuddy said softly but forcefully, and four pairs of eyes fell on her, brows raised at her use of his first name.

"Fine, get me an MRI and be ready to start him on broad spectrum. Go." House ordered before limping towards his office and the pair that stood watching him uncomfortably. "You know, it may look like I'm doing nothing, but on a molecular level, I'm really quite busy." He sat at his desk, reclining and raising his eyebrows at them. "If you've got something to say, say it. Otherwise," He shooed at them with his hand.

"House - Greg." Cuddy took a deep breath. "Stacy's back."

He tensed almost imperceptibly. "And? What does that have to do with me?" He stood, leaning heavily on his cane as he popped a Vicodin.

"She's here as a patient, House." Wilson told him, watching his friend carefully.

House sighed, rubbing a hand over his forehead. "What do-"

Cuddy interrupted him impatiently. "Look, she doesn't have that much time left-"

House swore, pushing past them and moving more quickly down the hall than they'd thought possible. "What room?" He barked over his shoulder.

"2110." Wilson called after him.

"Jeez. Not exactly the response I'd expected." Cuddy commented as they followed him at their own pace.

"You as much as told him she was dying Cuddy!" Wilson exclaimed.

"What?"

"She's running out of time?" He repeated.

"Oh damn." They picked up their pace, exiting the stairs and rounding the corner just as House stepped into the doorway of Stacy's room. He leant heavily against the doorframe, silently taking in the sight in front of him. Stacy was lying there, her head back against the pillows, eyes closed, with one hand resting over her forehead, the other on her very pregnant belly. A moment later the hand over her eyes dropped and they fluttered open, coming to rest on the figure in her doorway. She gasped and her eyes filled with tears.

"Greg." She choked out on a whisper.

"Stacy." His tone and expression were unreadable, but as her contraction hit, he limped to her side, using his cane to drag a chair next to the left side of her bed. Sitting, he took her hand, letting her squeeze it tightly as he used his other to smooth the hair from her face.

As it passed, she looked down at him with watery eyes. "Hi."

"Hi." He squeeze her hand gently, looking down at his cane resting against the bed and back up at her. "You didn't tell me you were pregnant."

"I know, and I'm sorry." She watched him as he looked down at their joined hands. He turned her left one in his, looking down at it then back up at her in surprise. She wasn't wearing a wedding ring. "Mark left when he found out I was pregnant." She explained in a shaky voice.

"Why would he do that?" He asked quietly.

She drew a steadying breath before confessing. "He knew the babies aren't his."

House wasn't sure which part of that sentence to be more surprised about. "Not his?" He repeated.

"No. Mark and I hadn't, uh, had sex since we came to Princeton." She admitted softly and winced as he pushed himself to his feet and began pacing.

"So the babies you're about to have - twins - are mine? I'm going to be a father of two - today?" Another contraction hit, preventing her from answering with anything more than a wince and a nod. "Jesus." He swore softly, back at her side and gripping her hand as she gasped through the pain. "How close together are they?"

"Couple minutes. Five or so, I think." Stacy responded, breathing heavily.

"You get anything for the pain?"

"No," she moaned and he winced. "Progressing too fast. Was already too late when I got here. Oh God." Another contraction hit.

"Screw five minutes, that couldn't have been more than three." He stated and she squeezed his hand as he pushed the call button for the nurse.

Moments later, Dr. Baker was back. "Well Stacy, you're at ten centimeters. It's time to go become a mommy." She stood up and helped the nurse prep her to move to the delivery room. House followed as they rolled her towards delivery.

"Dr. House, you'll have to-" A nurse made an attempt to prevent him from going any further.

"Greg!" Stacy gasped out and he pushed past the nurse.

"I'm going with her." He grabbed Stacy's hand, squeezing it encouragingly as they reached the delivery room. He stood by her head, watching her almost lovingly as the doctors prepared her to deliver the twins. He dropped a kiss to her forehead, smoothing back her hair as he whispered, "Let's do this." She nodded.

"Alright Stacy. You're ready to start pushing."

---

Outside in the hallway, Cuddy and Wilson were pacing nervously. They'd both been paged, but had only gotten there in time to see House heading into the delivery room. Both friends were nervous wrecks, as worried about the father of those babies as they were about the delivery itself. As they paced, Wilson looked up, freezing in his tracks as he saw all three of House's fellows standing in the hallway in front of him and watching him in concern. With a grunt, Cuddy paced directly into his back.

"What the-?" She looked over his shoulder and winced.

"What's going on?" Foreman asked.

"Is everything okay?" Cameron eyed them in concern.

"Yeah-uh, we're good." Wilson stammered. "You guys need something?"

"The MRI was clean. Do you know where House is?" Chase asked.

"He's going to be busy for the rest of the day." Cuddy told them. "What do you need?"

Chase glanced at the others. "Help." He told her honestly. "We have no idea what's wrong with this patient."

"Keep me updated okay?" She whispered to Wilson, then sighed. "Alright, familiarize me with the case. I'll see what I can do." She joined them and the group made their way back to House's office, leaving Wilson pacing alone.

---

"Alright Stacy, the first baby is crowning, I need you to bear down on the next contraction." Baker told her, and she bore down, holding tightly to House's hand, nearly screaming.

"I c-I can't," Stacy cried, falling back as far as House's arm around her back would let her. "It hurts."

"I know, but you can do this." He whispered, kissing her forehead.

"His head's out Stacy, just one more push and you'll be a mommy."

Stacy began pushing again, collapsing back on the pillows as the baby's first cries were heard. She was laughing and crying at the same time as House cut the umbilical cord and watched as the nurses took the baby aside to clean him.

"It's a boy." Dr. Baker said with a grin.

House looked down at Stacy, amazement evident on his face. "He's incredible."

"Nicholas Gregory." She whispered, and he nodded.

"Okay Stacy, your daughter's on her way, I need you to-" House watched, stomach sinking as Dr. Baker interrupted herself a look of worry crossing her face. As another contraction hit and Stacy began pushing, she looked up quickly. "Don't push Stacy. I know you want to, but stop."

"But-" Stacy gasped, but House interrupted her.

"What's wrong?"

"Your daughter's breach. She's presenting her arm first." House was reeling, as much from the complication as the phrase 'your daughter.'

"Oh God." Stacy cried and House squeezed her shoulders comfortingly.

"What do we do?"

"It's too late for a C-Section. I'm going to have to turn the baby manually. Now this is going to hurt, but the baby has to be turned."

"Okay, do what you have to do." Stacy told her doctor, reaching up and grabbing House's hand with both of hers. He stepped closer and she buried her face in his abdomen, nearing screaming at the pain. When the doctor finished she nodded up at House who squeezed Stacy's shoulder, releasing her so she could lay back against the pillows.

"Alright Stacy, now you can push. Okay? Here's the next contraction. Push." Baker ordered and Stacy bore down twice more and Dr. Baker looked up. "Good Stacy, it's a girl."

"She's not crying, why isn't she crying?" Stacy gasped, tightening her grasp on House's hand.

"They're working on it, she'll be okay." House whispered, reassuring himself as well as Stacy. Just a few torturous moments later the baby's small wail was heard, the whole room breathing a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank God." House looked down in mild amusement when he and Stacy sighed in unison.

Dr. Baker stood, taking the newly clean Nicholas and placing him in Dr. House's arms. "Five pounds, twelve ounces, eighteen inches."

"Hmm." He dropped a kiss to the boy's forehead, then lowered him into Stacy's arms. She smiled up at House, eyes filled with tears.

"He's so perfect." She breathed, looking down at the baby in awe.

"Yeah, he is." House dragged a fingertip across the baby's cheek and his eyes opened, revealing crystalline blue eyes.

"Here's your daughter." He turned to see Baker behind him, holding the small pink bundle. "Five pounds, nine ounces, sixteen inches."

He settled the girl in his arms, leaning against Stacy's bed. "Why wasn't she breathing?" He asked, glancing down at the little girl then back at the doctor.

Baker rubbed the back of her neck. "Because she was breach, the umbilical cord had wrapped around her neck, cutting off her air supply," Stacy gasped behind him. "We had her breathing within seconds. She'll be fine." Baker assured them, and he nodded in acknowledgment as Baker stepped back, preparing Stacy to be moved back to her room.

House rested his hip against the bed, cradling the infant against his chest. Stacy looked up, stroking a finger over the small hand, grinning as the baby grasped her fingertip.

"She's perfect." Stacy whispered.

He nodded, "What's her name?" He looked down, meeting Stacy's surprised look. "You had a name for Nicholas, I can only assume you have a name for her too."

"Danielle Marie." She said softly, looking at her infant daughter, then back at House.

"Beautiful." He said simply, not taking his eyes off of Stacy. With his free hand, he tipped her chin up, leaning down and pressing his lips to hers. Pulling away, he looked down at her, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you Stace."

"Love you too." She choked out through the tears that were threatening to fall. He leaned down and kissed her once more before straightening. He gestured for Nicholas and she carefully placed the baby into his arm, watching him questioningly.

"I'm going to go show these two off to Wilson and Cuddy. Rest while you can." He advised as he straightened up and took a few tentative steps without his cane. Turning back to the bed he saw that Stacy was already almost asleep and smiled. "Dr. Baker. "He called softly, and she came over quickly. "Can you give me a hand getting to the hall?"

"Absolutely. What do you need?"

Dr. Baker stood at his right, her hand lightly clasping his elbow, guiding and prepared to support him as they slowly made their way out of the delivery room and to the hallway. As they pushed through the doors, Dr. Baker released his arm and stepped back.

"Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Lisa." He called teasingly, watching as they froze and looked up, expressions turning into ones of interest as they saw him. Jumping up, they came to where he stood with the twins. "Meet Nicholas Gregory and Danielle Marie." He said proudly. Both friends 'oohed and ahhed' appropriately, watching as the babies squirmed, and opened their eyes to reveal matching blue eyes.

"They have your eyes, House." Cuddy observed and he nodded. "Can I-" She broke off, slightly embarrassed, but he nodded again. Leaning down, he carefully placed Nicholas into her arms, watching as she melted. "Well hello there handsome." She murmured and he chuckled.

"Can I?" Wilson asked after watching the pair. Hesitating only slightly, House placed Danielle into Wilson's arms. She opened her eyes and let out a squeak. "You are precious, aren't you?"

House stood back, hands in pockets, as his friends cuddled the infants. After a few moments, he took his daughter back from Wilson. "Gimme." He settled the infant against his chest, giving Wilson a look that promised to explain later.

Behind them, a nurse cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. We need to take the babies for the pediatrician to check."

House nodded towards the baby boy Cuddy held. "Take them one at a time."

"But-" The nurse began.

Cuddy laid the child in her arms. "Just come back for Danielle when Nicholas is done." The nurse nodded, turning and carrying to baby back through the doors.

* * *

A/N: Review please! I know House is a little out of character, but he's always been a little like that when it comes to Stacy anyway. Thanks to ADASakura for the line about being molecularly busy! The next chapter should be finished and updated relatively soon! 


	5. Parent

A/N: This chapter picks up immediately where the last left off...

* * *

Chapter 4 ---- Parent

"So how's Stacy?" Wilson asked.

"Good, resting. She was-" House began.

"House!" Cuddy, Wilson and House turned to see his team walking quickly towards them. Reaching the trio, they stopped in their tracks, taking in the sight of their gruff boss cradling a newborn baby girl in his arms.

"Is that a baby?" Chase asked incredulously.

"No, it's a gremlin. What the hell else would it be?" House said dryly, wincing when Cuddy elbowed him and muttered something about his language. "What do you need?"

"We did the MRI. It was clean. LP was clean too, no infection." Cameron answered.

"That only leaves environmental." Foreman concluded.

"Then check out the house and office." House ordered.

"But no one else is-" Cameron began, her voice trailing off as the baby's eyes fluttered open and she gurgled. House looked down at the baby as Cameron did a double take, looking between him and the baby in shock. House looked up from the girl in time to see Chase tug on Cameron's arm, pulling her back down the hall the way they'd come.

"We'll check the home." Chase called back over his shoulder as the three fellows hurried down the hall. "What the hell was that?" He asked Cameron in a whisper.

"Did you se that baby's eyes? She had House's eyes!" She exclaimed in disbelief.

"Almost all baby's have blue eyes at birth." Foreman pointed out.

"Not that blue. And they were the same shape."

"No way is that House's kid. He hasn't dated anyone in at least a year." Chase stated.

"Oh, like he tells you about his dates." Foreman scoffed. "Knowing House, he wouldn't let that keep him from getting some."

"That's not a hooker's baby." Cameron said quietly and thoughtfully.

"How do you know?" Chase asked.

"He's emotionally invested. He wouldn't be like that if he didn't care about the mother. The child would be a "parasite" not a baby."

"Well he hasn't seemed emotionally involved with anyone really, since-" Foreman broke off.

"Since what?" Chase asked.

Cameron groaned. "Since Stacy, who left almost nine months ago."

"Damn." Foreman muttered.

-----------

The nurse came back as the team returned to the office. "I need to take your daughter back for her check-up now." House reluctantly released the baby to her and she handed him his cane. "We're moving Stacy into her own room now. You can join her in a few minutes.

"Thanks." House nodded.

"Oh, they're drawing up the birth certificates now as well. What is their last name?" The nurse asked, somewhat nervously.

"House. Nicholas Gregory and Danielle Marie House." Wilson and Cuddy looked up at him in surprise as he told the nurse, who nodded and disappeared through the double doors with the baby.

After a few moments, Cuddy dismissed herself to take care of the meetings she'd had to postpone, leaving Wilson and House sitting in the hallway of the maternity floor.

"Why were you so reluctant to let me hold Danielle? Or let the nurse take her?" Wilson asked, breaking the silence.

House ran a hand over his face, rubbing the stubble on his cheeks. "I don't know."

Wilson fixed him with a stare. "I don't believe you."

House sighed. "We could have lost her." He mumbled.

"Danielle? What happened?"

"Cord was wrapped around her neck. She wasn't breathing."

"But she's fine now?" Wilson clarified.

"Yeah," House tipped his head back, letting it bounce a little on the wall behind him. "I was scared though, I haven't been that scared in a long time. It was only a few seconds." Wilson nodded in understanding. "I've only known about her- them- for an hour, and I'm already terrified of losing them, or of doing something wrong." He admitted in decidedly uncharacteristic vulnerability.

"Welcome to parenthood." Wilson sighed. "From what I hear, that fear never really goes away. You just do your best and hope that if you love your kids enough they'll turn out okay."

"Great." House leaned forward, resting his forehead on his cane. "Why didn't she tell me Wilson?"

"She was scared." Wilson answered simply.

"Of me?"

"Well," Wilson shrugged. "Sort of. She was pregnant and alone. This was the second time you'd driven her away. She had no reason to think that, if she told you, you'd do anything different."

"I love her."

"Yeah well, you loved her then too." Wilson responded bluntly. "She's always been the love of your life but it's never stopped you."

"I wouldn't have done it if I'd known."

"And that's better? No woman wants a man to be with her just because she's pregnant with his kid." Wilson shook his head. "She didn't want you to resent her and the babies."

"She told you that?" House eyed him suspiciously.

Wilson rubbed his neck. "Pretty much."

"Damn, I wouldn't have-"

"Make sure she knows that then."

"Dr. House?" The men looked up to find a nurse hovering over them. "Ms. Barrett is ready now." She told him, nodding her head towards the room before walking away.

"Weird hearing Barrett again." House grumbled as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Better than Warner." Wilson snorted. "At least for you."

"True." House slipped inside Stacy's room, sliding the door shut. "Hey, how you feeling?" He asked as he pulled a chair up beside the bed.

"Good...exhausted and sore." He winced and she laughed. "I'm a mommy." She squeezed his hand.

"And I'm a daddy." He raised an eyebrow in a goofy expression, making her laugh again before her face fell a little.

"I'm sorry Greg. I-"

"It's okay." He interrupted gently. "I get it. You don't have to apologize."

"But I-" She studied him for a moment. "You talked to James." She said knowingly and he nodded guiltily, making her smile in spite of herself. "You're sure you're okay with this?"

He took her hand, squeezing it gently. "I'm here now, that's what matters." He leaned up and kissed her softly.

"Oh! Excuse me..." They both looked up to se a nurse standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Sorry for interrupting, but we need you to review the birth certificates and sign them." She walked over, handing Stacy the papers. "When you're done we'll bring the twins in to start breast-feeding."

"Thank you." The nurse stepped out and Stacy looked down at the papers in her hand. "Greg. You gave them your last name." She looked up at him.

He nodded. "They're my children."

"Well, yes but-"

"I want them raised as my children Stacy. I'm their father."

Stacy sighed, shifting so she could sit up more. "I know Greg. I just- I don't want them to have your last name if they're not going to have you." She looked down at her hands.

House stood up, sitting on the edge of her bed. He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, lifting it to meet his eyes. "They'll have me, you'll have me. I'm not going anywhere Stacy. It was a mistake to let you go, and I'm not going to do it again. Third time's the charm."

"Greg..." She trailed off weakly.

"I love you Stacy. And I love Nicholas and Danielle. I was stupid to let you leave, both times, and I regret it." He saw tears in her eyes and used his thumb to wipe one away. "If you'll let me, I'm going to be there for all three of you. I promise." He pressed a tender kiss to her lips and felt her shiver and gasp.

"I love you too Greg." She murmured, looking up at him with a teary smile.

"Good, " he grinned, taking on of the certificates off her lap and signing the father line.

* * *

A/N: Short I know, but chapter divisions are getting a little sketchy now, so bear with me if they seem like weird places to stop and start. I know House is pretty out of character here, but if you think about it, it's his third and probably final chance with Stacy, who he's been in love with, and he's just become a father...he's entitled to vulnerability and tenderness at the moment...Please review...new chapters should be up soon!

A/N2: I think the conversation with Wilson is my favorite part of this chapter...fun to write too! LOL


	6. Past

Once again, this chapter picks up directly after the last one. Flashbacks are in _italics_, and the first one contains R rated material...pretty much their night in Need to Know, how they got from "I don't want you to leave" to naked in House's bed. Also, beside's Stacy's mother being gone, I know little to nothing about her family, so in this story both her parents are gone, but she has one brother who is five years younger...

A/N: Make sure you've read the previous chapter, as I have replaced the author's note with an actual chapter!

* * *

Chapter 5 ----- Past

Moments later, House held his son, watching in awe as Stacy nursed their daughter. The nurse had helped get both infants started, then left the new family in their moment. Nicholas had just fallen asleep in his arms when House's pager began beeping. He groaned, shifting the child in his arms to look down at the offending object. Reluctantly he placed the baby in the bassinet beside Stacy's bed.

"I'm sorry. I've gotta take care of this."

"It's okay." He kissed her lightly before leaving the room, glancing behind him to watch her cradle their daughter before heading up to his office. In his office he found Chase, Foreman, Cameron and Cuddy gathered around the white board looking exceedingly frustrated. Cuddy was the first to see him enter his side of the office as he headed straight for his desk. She closed the door behind her as she followed him to his desk.

"How is she?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed in exasperation. "Stacy. How is Stacy?"

"I know who you meant. She's fine. What's going on with my patient?" House asked as he entered the other room and took a look at the board.

"Your patient?" Cuddy exclaimed.

"Yes, that is why I was paged, right? This person I'm supposed to be diagnosing?"

"Well, yes but-" She began.

"Then let's diagnose her."

"Him." Cameron interrupted softly.

"What?"

"Our patient is a man."

"Fine, let's diagnose him. Show me what you've got."

After the team had been sent to run tests and administer treatment, House retreated to his desk, tossing his ball in the air as he remembered.

_"I love Mark." Stacy told him, less than enthusiastically, not meeting his eyes._

_"You love me more." He told her firmly, coming around her desk to stand close to her. She didn't bother to deny it as she met his eyes, her gaze drifting to his lips before returning to his eyes. "I don't want you to leave."_

_Eyes never leaving hers, he slowly lowered his head, hovering just centimeters above her lips. Her eyes drifted closed as she shifted towards him, her hand coming up to rest lightly on his chest. Letting their lips meet in a feather-light kiss, she stepped back, her hand on his chest holding him in place as he moved to follow her._

_"Not here Greg." She said in a whisper laced with desire and regret. He nodded in reluctant acceptance. "Walk me to my car." She mumbled, turning around to grab her jacket and purse. He followed her silently, watching from the corner of his eye as they made their way out of the hospital and through the parking lot. Stopping in front of her car, he raised an eyebrow when she moved to the passenger side and tossed him the keys._

_"You sure?" She nodded silently and he unlocked the car, sliding into the drivers seat and steering them to his apartment. For the first time in years, House fumbled as he unlocked his front door, Stacy hovering at his side. He threw the keys down as soon as they walked inside and pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply. Her arms came up, wrapping around his neck and tangling her fingers in his hair. He groaned and pulled her body flush against him, one hand at the base of her neck further deepening the kiss, while the other slipped under her blouse, rubbing small circles on the soft skin of her back. Her hands slipped from his hair to push his jacket from his shoulders and he let it fall to the ground. Their clothes were discarded as they made their way down the hallway to his bedroom, pauses for kisses and caresses impeding their progress. When they finally made it to his room, Stacy wore nothing but her lace panties. House watched, eyes darkening with desire as she sat on the edge of his bed, sliding slowly up to rest against the pillows and the headboard._

_"Greg." A hand extended in his direction, and his name, in her voice raw with her own desire, was all it took. Tossing aside his cane and boxers, he climbed onto the bed, hovering over her to pepper kisses across her bare shoulders and up her neck to her jaw with a low growl of arousal. She moaned and arched into him as his roaming hands found her breast, and she gasped as his mouth joined his hand. Her fingers tangled in his hair as his mouth moved lower and she let out a growl of her own when his placed a kiss on the scrap of black lace that barely covered her. "Greg- please-" He hooked a finger on either side of the panties and peeled them from her body torturously slowly._

_Her thighs fell apart of the own volition as he settled between them. He kissed the insides of her thighs gently, moving to press a kiss to their junction before thrusting his tongue into her. She arched off the bed and his fingers replaced his tongue, thrusting and stroking inside of her as his tongue circled her clit and he brought her to a mind-blowing climax that left her gasping his name._

_Giving her little time to recover, he kissed his way back up her body, sucking the skin at the base of her neck into his mouth as he positioned himself above her, pushing inside with one long thrust. She moaned low in her throat as she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer and sheathing him deeper inside of her. He was still for a moment, letting her adjust and just enjoying being inside her again after so long. Growing impatient, she clenched her inner muscles around him and he groaned, pulling out almost completely before slamming back into her._

_"God- Greg-" _

_He set a semi-steady rhythm, moving inside her as her hips rose to meet his every thrust. All too soon, in his opinion, his pace became erratic as his pleasure continued to build. Determined to make her come again, he reached between them and circled her clit with his thumb as he continued to thrust into her, harder and faster. Her orgasm shattered around her and she bit down on his shoulder as wave after wave of pleasure crashed over her. _

_"Love. You. Stace." House grunted out as he thrust twice more before exploding deep inside her, stars dancing before his eyes as he collapsed on top of her. When he came back to himself, one of her legs had fallen from his waist, and her hands were making circles on the small of his back. They laid silently together for a few moments as their breathing steadied before he slipped out and off of her with a groan, collapsing to her left with a soft grunt. "That was-"_

_"Amazing." She whispered, snuggling into his side and kissing his chest, as he wrapped an arm around her bare shoulders. She settled her head on his chest, throwing a leg around his, startling when it drew a grunt of pain from him. "Oh Greg, I'm-"_

_"It's okay." He grunted again, throwing a hand out to grab the small orange bottle that resided on top of a book on his night stand, and dry swallow a dose. He'd been so wrapped up in her, he'd given no though to the strain their position had put on his leg. His eyes were closed against the pain, so when he felt the whisper-light touch of her fingers on his thigh, he jumped, eyes flying open. "Stace-"_

_"Shh. Let me Greg." She placed a light kiss on his lips before turning her attention back to his leg. He closed his eyes as her touch returned. She was the only one he'd ever let do this. She massaged him gently, instinctively remembering where to keep her touch light and where to allow the pressure of the base of her hand to dig and sooth the pain. After a few moments, he stopped her, lacing his fingers with hers and pulling her closer. She settled back into his chest, careful this time as she tangled a leg with his. She felt him sigh as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head._

_"Thanks." He whispered, so soft she almost didn't hear it._

_"I love you too, Greg." She kissed his chest before meeting his eyes. "Don't know if I ever stopped." She kissed his lips softly before laying down again, warmed when his arm around her shoulders pulled her closer and they drifted to sleep._

_----------------------_

Later that afternoon, Stacy laid in her hospital room, watching their twins sleeping in the bassinets. She was tired, but was finding it hard to sleep when all she wanted to do was watch her babies. As she watched them, she remembered

_The weeks after Stacy and Mark moved back to Short Hills were tense ones. Stacy was struggling with her feelings over the brief affair with House, and Mark had become even more sullen and withdrawn. She had been on the phone with a friend, discussing possible dates for a "welcome home" dinner party when it hit her. She'd left work early and driven to the nearest pharmacy before heading home. Stacy locked herself in the bathroom, grateful for the parent-teacher conferences that were keeping Mark at the school until late that evening._

_Three early response tests, all different brands, were spread out on the counter in front of her. She sat on the edge of the bathtub, arms wrapped around herself, rocking slightly. The minutes dragged on and all she could do was sit there, praying that they would be negative, and try not to throw up. The egg timer she'd set buzzed, and her heart jumped into her throat. Standing slowly, she dried her sweaty palms on her slacks, and approached the counter. She lifted the first test, her hand shaking as she read the result._

_Two pink lines._

_Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the second._

_The stick was blue._

_Her whole body was trembling as she lifted the third and final test._

_Pregnant._

_Three positive pregnancy tests. There was no avoiding the truth. Her stomach lurched and she vomited into the toilet, sinking to her knees on the cold bathroom floor. As her stomach settled, she leaned back against the wall, her tears falling as it sunk in._

_Stacy Warner was pregnant. With Greg House's baby._

_Another wave of nausea hit her and she retched, collapsing into sobs._

_Mark came home that night to a dark house. He found Stacy curled up in a ball, buried deep within the covers on her side of their bed. He sighed as he got into bed beside her. Her eyes were closed, but a hitch in her breathing told him she was still awake._

_"Stacy honey?" He touched her shoulder gently, surprised when she flinched away from him. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"_

_When she answered, her voice was hoarse from crying. "I'm just not- feeling well." She whispered, and he sighed, laying back on his side of the bed and staring at the ceiling._

_When his breathing told her he'd fallen asleep, Stacy allowed the tears to flow silently and freely as she cried herself to sleep. She knew her marriage would never be the same. She would never be the same. Stacy called in sick the next day, and after throwing up for the first half hour, spent the rest of the day pacing her house, alternately cleaning and crying. Mark came home that evening to a spotless home and a trembling nervous wife._

_"What's going on Stacy?"_

_She sighed, sitting at the kitchen table and staring at her hands. "We have-" She cleared her throat and tried again. "We have to talk Mark." She glanced up at him, her eyes filling with tears._

_"What happened?"_

_She couldn't meet his eyes. "I'm - I'm pregnant Mark." She whispered, glancing up to catch his reaction._

_His eyes lit up at first. "Stace, that's-" Suddenly, and predictably, his eyes narrowed, as he remembered that he had not been with his wife in months. "Stacy..."_

_"I'm sorry." She whispered, looking away again._

_"Who?"_

_"Mark, please-"_

_"Dammit Stacy. Who?" He yelled._

_She whispered his name. "Greg. I'm so sorry." It all came out in a rush._

_"Get out."_

_Her eyes widened. "Mark, I-"_

_"Get. Out." He practically snarled. "Anyone but him, I probably could have- It had to be him." The words were spat out, the venom in them almost surprising. "Get out of my house Stacy."_

_Her tears fell quietly as she stood, resigned, and moved towards their bedroom. She reemerged moments later with a small suitcase. Glancing towards the kitchen, she saw him watching her, his expression a mixture of pain and anger._

_"I never meant to hurt you. I'm sorry." She whispered before slipping out of the front door._

_A little over an hour later, she pulled up in front of a large house. It was dark, and she hated to wake its occupants, but this was her only option. Grabbing her suitcase, she walked through the rain to ring the doorbell. A few moments later, a hallway light came on inside, followed by the porch light, and the door cracked open slowly, before opening wide._

_"Hey little brother. Got room for one more?" Stacy smiled halfheartedly._

_"Stacy! Of-of course." He stammered, taking her suitcase out of her hand and guiding her into the entryway. "What-"_

_"Who's at the door Daniel?" A woman's voice called as she descended the stairs. "Stacy? Oh my God. What's happened?" Susan Barrett, Daniel's wife, hurried down the stairs to wrap her sister-in-law in a comforting hug. Stacy shook her head slightly, fighting off tears. "Well, never mind. Let's get you upstairs and out of those wet clothes." Susan peeled the wet coat from her shoulders and led her upstairs. "Daniel hon, grab her bag."_

_Stacy got changed and settled into a guest room. Stacy was tucked into the bed, comforter pulled waist high, when a light knock sounded and her younger brother's head peeked around her door._

_"Sue sent me with tea." He told her softly. Daniel Barrett was a quiet, caring man, and at forty, was the father of two young boys, ages five and three. He and Stacy had been close growing up, despite the five year age difference, and had maintained most of the connection when they reached adulthood. Handing Stacy the tea, he settled onto the bed next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "What happened Stace?"_

_He was shocked when she burst into tears. He took the tea from her, placing it on the night stand as she curled into him, burying her face in his chest. Her sobs wracked her body as he rubbed her back soothingly, murmuring to her until her tears were reduced to sniffles and hiccups. He eyed her carefully as she sat up, swiping at the tears on her cheeks._

_"Princess?" There was a time in their childhood when the nickname had been a little brother's jab at his teenage sister's tendency to primp and whine, but as they'd both grown up, the name had become a term of endearment._

_"Danny." She choked out. "I've screwed up everything."_

_"If you don't tell me what happened, I can't fix it."_

_"It's bad Danny. You ca-you can't fix this." She took a shuddering breath and felt him squeeze her shoulder encouragingly. "I-Mark kicked me out."_

_Danny's face darkened and he scowled. "He did what? I swear, I'll go-" She stopped him with a hand on his knee._

_"I-uh, I had an affair." She whispered, her tears beginning again. "I'm pregnant Danny."_

_"Oh God." He pulled her into his arms. "It's going to be okay Princess." He murmured, rubbing her back as she cried herself to sleep for the second time in as many days._

_The next morning, Susan found her hunched over the toilet, tears streaming down her face._

_"Oh Stacy." She murmured as she knelt beside her, holding her hair and rubbing small circles on her back._

_Stacy stayed with her brother and his family for a week, before reluctantly heading back to Short Hills to get her things. Daniel and Susan insisted on driving her, and spent the majority of the half hour drive offering their home for as long as she needed it. When they arrived, the three of them made their way up the front walk._

_Using her keys, Daniel unlocked the front door, stepping inside and looking around. Slowly, Stacy and Susan followed him in and wandered through the house. Little things were missing from each room, including pictures, CDs and their television. Reluctantly, Stacy made her way to their room. Opening the large closet, she gasped her eyes filling with tears yet again. His side of the closet was completely empty, as were his dresser drawers. She sank to the floor at the end of the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest, face buried in her arms._

_"Uh, Stace?" She looked up to see her brother hovering in the doorway._

_"He's gone. All his things are gone." She whispered._

_"Oh princess." He joined her on the floor, pulling her into a hug._

_"Stacy, sweetie?" The pair looked up to see Susan standing in the doorway awkwardly. "These were on the kitchen table." She handed her a stack of papers. As Stacy looked them over, a shaky hand came up to cover her mouth._

_"What are they Stace?" Daniel watched her in concern._

_"Divorce papers."_

Stacy wiped away a few stray tears, gathering her composure and pushing away the memories. It had hurt, god it had hurt at the time, but things had worked out for the best. Her brother had helped her move to a nice home in Princeton, and had taken care of the sale of the house in Short Hills. The divorce was finalized and she turned her attention to her pregnancy. Now she was the mother of two beautiful babies, and Greg was- well, she wasn't sure exactly what Greg was, but he was there. She could settle for that at the moment.

* * *

A/N: Wow that was long.

2AM and I'm still awake writing this fic, if I get it all down on paper its no longer inside of me threatening the life it belongs to..And I feel like I'm naked in front of a crowd cuz these words are my diary screaming out loud and I know that you'll use them however you want to...

Sorry...it is quite literally 2AM as I finish typing this so excuse me if I'm a little loopy. That was an Anna Nalick song by the way...awesome song by an awesome singer...check her out. Anyway, please excuse any errors as they are caused by the late hour and my desire to post this tonight, er- this morning. Anywhoo...Review please!


	7. Visit

Wow...I'm so sorry it has taken me this long to update. It's weird actually, because I've had this chapter written for a long time but I was struggling with the storyline for awhile and the end of this particular chapter, so I was being stubborn and not posting. But I think I've got things figured out, somewhat at least, and you have waited long enough! Enjoy!

Still the same day...

* * *

Chapter 6 ------ Visit

A little while later, a soft knock came from her door, and Stacy looked up to find Cuddy hovering in the doorway.

"Hey Lisa." She smiled.

"Hey Stacy. How are you feeling?" Cuddy asked as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Pretty good actually. I'm getting a little stir crazy in here though."

"Want to take a walk?" Cuddy offered.

"Can I?" Stacy asked and Cuddy nodded. "That would be great." Cuddy helped her slide slowly from the bed and wrap a robe around her body. Cuddy lifted Danielle from the bassinet and handed her to Stacy who kissed her daughter's head, while Cuddy settled Nicholas into her own arms.

"Ready?" Cuddy and Stacy slowly made their way out of her room, walking aimlessly around the second floor. They were stopped by a few of the nurses who recognized Stacy, as they admired the babies. After a little more wandering, the two headed for the elevators. They made their way to the fourth floor, stopping in at Wilson's office.

"Hey there!" Wilson exclaimed, standing as the women entered his office. "How are you?" He asked as Stacy lowered herself to his couch.

"Good. We're good. Getting a change of scenery." Stacy explained.

"Ah, I see. Oh I have something for you." Wilson handed her the gift bag, holding Danielle so Stacy could open the gift. She pulled the tissue paper out, unfolding two receiving blankets with satin edging, one pink and one blue.

"Thank you James, they're beautiful."

"You're welcome. And now that the twins are here, we can take them back and get their names and birth dates embroidered, if you'd like."

"That would be great. Thank you." She grinned as she pulled two onesies from the bag. One was pink with glittery writing that read _Does this diaper make my butt look big?_, the other was blue and read _Party in my crib, 2 AM_. "How cute!"

Wilson and Cuddy chuckled. "They had a ton more sayings, but those were the cutest and most appropriate." Wilson told her with a laugh.

"Well I love them. Thank you."

After wrapping the twins in their new blankets, Stacy took Danielle back and she and Lisa headed back down the hall towards the diagnostics department. House was standing in front of the whiteboard with Chase, crossing something out, when they entered his office. He didn't see them at first, looking up only when Chase became distracted. Abandoning the board, he pushed the door to his office open with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, taking Stacy's arm and helping her sit on the arm chair.

"We came for a visit." She smiled up at him, then made a face. "I was getting tired of my room."

Chase was standing in the other room, watching the three adults, when Cameron and Foreman returned.

"What are you looking at?" Foreman asked as they walked in, turning to follow his line of vision. House and Cuddy were standing with their backs to the room, and between them the three could see Stacy sitting in the chair with a pink bundle cradled on her lap. "Guess we were right." Foreman commented. At that moment, Cuddy turned to House, settling Nicholas into his arms before hugging Stacy.

"I've got to get back to my office. Let me know if you need anything okay?" Stacy nodded and Cuddy left, heading down the hall. Stacy glanced back at House who was talking to their son and smiled.

"You know, if anyone heard you now your reputation would be ruined." She teased.

"Yeah, well, he's not talking." House pointed out.

"True, but I might- oh my." Stacy had glanced past House and burst into laughter. He turned around, brow furrowed in confusion at her sudden reaction, to see Cameron, Chase, and Foreman watching them with their jaws dropped in shock.

"Your mommy's crazy." He grumbled to his son. "Might as well meet Daddy's other kids." He limped to the door and pushed it open. "You gonna stand there catching flies all day or what." Three jaws snapped closed and Stacy stifled a giggle. House stepped back into his office with a jerk of his head, and the three followed him in.

"There are two." Cameron stammered.

"Are we playing state the obvious again?"

"Greg, leave her alone." Stacy admonished and her scowled.

"We just didn't-" Cameron cut herself off again.

"We already knew about the baby girl, but we never saw him." Foreman tried to explain.

"Well, meet Nicholas and Danielle." Stacy introduced them pleasantly. Danielle chose that moment to open her eyes and stretch.

"Well aren't you precious." Cameron melted, crouching beside Stacy's chair to watch the newborn.

"We're gonna..." Chase trailed off, gesturing towards the door.

"Yeah, congratulations." Foreman said, following Chase out.

"Men." Stacy laughed and House made a face.

Cameron laughed too. "I'd better go too. They're adorable." She looked between the infants. "Congratulations, really." She smiled as she left the office, leaving the new family alone.

"Stace." House dragged his desk chair up next to her and sat down.

"Hmm?" She was watching her daughter hold her finger.

"Look at me for a minute." He ordered and she looked up from the baby in concern.

"What's wrong Greg?"

He sighed. "Nothing really. I'm just wondering what is going to happen when you get discharged."

"Oh. Well. We'll be going to my home in Princeton. Their nursery is all ready for them." She told him softly.

"What about me? I don't want to be a part time dad." House said adamantly. "And you are going to need help."

"I know." She sighed.

"Good. I'll get Wilson to help me move my stuff in this weekend."

"What?" She exclaimed. "You're moving in?"

"Well, yeah. How else am I supposed to be there for the 2 AM feedings?" The onesie from Wilson briefly came to mind and she chuckled. "Stacy, I meant it when I said I'm going to be there for the three of you."

"I know you did, but-" She sighed.

He read the confusion in her eyes. "I want to be with _you_ Stacy." He told her, his voice low, and she glanced up at him with wide eyes. "And not just as the mother of our twins."

She blushed. "Okay.

"Okay?"

"Yes, okay." She smiled up at him. "You can move in with us." He tugged her up and wrapped his free hand around her waist, kissing her soundly.

"Good." He kissed her again lightly. "Now let's get you back to your room." He shifted Nicholas to his left arm and grabbed his cane, the four of them walking slowly to the elevator and to her room. House held both infants while Stacy got settled into the bed. He was placing Danielle in her arms when the sound of someone clearing their throat caught their attention.

"Hey Princess!"

Stacy's eyes lit up to see Daniel and his family standing in the doorway.

"Danny!" She grinned. "Come meet your niece and nephew."

House stepped back as Daniel came to sit on the edge of the bed. Susan followed close behind with their sons, Nathan, age five, and Matthew age three, clasping her hands.

"Aunty Stacy!" Matthew exclaimed, breaking away from his mother and making a beeline for Stacy, nearly knocking House off his feet in the process. In true fatherly fashion, Daniel scooped Matthew up with one arm and grasped House's arm with the other to steady him.

"Sorry about that - Greg?" Daniel finally took a good look, eyebrows flying towards his hairline as he recognized him.

"Yeah. No big deal." House mumbled, shifting Nicholas in his arms.

Stacy watched as the two men stared at each other, Daniel looking between his sister and House. "Matty, Nate, come meet your cousins, Nicholas," She nodded to the boy House held, "and Danielle."

"Cool!" Matty exclaimed as Daniel lowered him to sit on the bed by Stacy.

"So, how have you been Greg?" Susan asked pleasantly, perching on the bed behind her bouncing son and setting a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"Not bad." He shrugged. "Listen, it was good to see you guys, but I gotta-" He gestured towards the door. "I've got a patient. Do one of you want to hold him?" He laid the baby in Daniel's arms and squeezed Stacy's hand before limping away from the room.

"God. I haven't seen Greg in years, since I was pregnant with Nate." Susan commented. "Forgot he worked here. It was nice of him to come and see you." Stacy blushed.

"Uh," She cleared her throat as Danielle squirmed in her arms, opening her eyes and whimpering. She bounced the baby gently. "That's not exactly-"

"Is he-" Daniel broke off. "He's their father, isn't he. The one you had the affair with." He said quietly and Stacy nodded.

"Jeez Stace," He ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "You ruined your marriage for _him_?"

"Daniel!" Susan admonished as Stacy sighed.

"Look Danny, I know you don't like him-"

"Damn straight. The man treated you like crap Stacy." Daniel exclaimed, wincing when his wife slapped his arm.

"Watch your language Daniel Barrett." Susan scolded. "This is not the time or place for this conversation. Save it." She turned to Stacy. "Are you happy sweetie?"

"Very." Stacy answered honestly.

"Alright then, " Susan turned and gave her husband a pointed look before directing her attention back to Stacy. "Let me hold that precious little girl!"

Stacy laughed gratefully and relinquished her daughter to her sister-in-law, watching as her brother turned his attention to the baby boy in his arms, crouching to show Nathan his new cousin.

* * *

A/N: Please review! I have no idea when the next chapter will be up, but I promise if you review it will be sooner rather than later!

A/N2: Those onesies really do exist. They have them at the Target out here and they're hilarious. The two Wilson gives are some of my faves...but they also have : Automatic Sprinkler, Tax Deduction, I cry over spilt milk, and a bunch more funny ones.


	8. Name Change

Hey everyone! I just want to thank you for your continued dedication to my stories! I promise they have not been abandoned. This semester in school has been an extremely stressful one, but luckily we're almost to the end of the semester! As soon as finals are over, I plan on celebrating by posting a whole bunch of updates! Consider it an early Christmas present to all of you. Hopefully I'll be able to balance a little more next semester and keep writing.

I also wanted to let you know that I am changing my pen name. I was talking it over with one of my friends, who also writes fan fiction, and we decided that my new one definitely applies to all the shows that I watch, more so that BodiesNBones. So be on the look out for new updates and maybe even a new story from me! Thanks so much!

WeHaveACase


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